Street-sweeper.



W. C. NIEMANN.

STREET SWEEPER. l APPLICATION FILED MAY 12,1911.

A Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1 n F." m n i i I u I s i sN i w i by Nfi "IN l i 5 D M 'N '$1 ,lk S1 L w ig 1* N 3% i?! N. Eb 5 Q Q N uw *J w u @gk @i i s 50) @um coLuMBx PLANOGRAPH co.,wAsHlNcToN, D. c.

w. o. NIEMANN.

STREET SWEBPER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, 1911.

Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

3 SHEBTS*SHEET Z.

cnLuMpm PLANDGRAPH co..\vASH|NGTON. D. C.

W. C. NIEMANN.

STREET SWEEPER.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 12, 1911.

Patented Deo. 16, 1913.

@SHEETS-SHEET s.

' propelling the machine.

WLLIAM C. NIEMANN, 0F 'WALTZ, MICHIGAN.

STREET-SWEEPER.

Application filed May 12, 1911.

To all whom t may concern Beit known that I, WILLIAM C. NIEMANN,"

citizen of the United States, residing at lValtZ, in the county of lVayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street-Sweepers, of which the 'following is a specification.

This invention relates to street sweeping machines, and aims to provide a machine for this purpose which will collect the dirt as it is removed from the street surface and store it i-n a suitable receptacle upon the frame of the machine where it will remain unt-il the receptacle becomes full or the sweeping operation has been completed.

rlhe invention aims further to provide in a sweeping machine, means readily operable to raise and lower the brush or brushes without in any way interfering wit-h the means for rotating the brushes. In this connection, the invention contemplates the provision of means for holding the driving connection between the power shaft of the machine and the brushes and the conveyer leading from the brushes taut, `against disarrangement.

The invention aims further to so mount the brushes and the conveyer leading therefrom, and the means for raising and lowering the brushes and conveyer, that these parts may be adjusted to suit various conditions under which the machine may be used.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view, showing the brushes elevated. Fig. /l is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 4.-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 3 but showing the brushes and the conveyer lowered.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawing by the same reference characters.

In the drawings, the frame Of the machine is illustrated as including parallel sidebeams 1 supported at their front and rear ends by wheels 2, and connected at their forward ends by a flooring 3 in front of which is mounted an explosive engine 4 for A water tank G Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 15,1913.

sei-iai No. 626,778.

is mounted at the rear end of the frame and has a spraying nozzle 7 leading there-` from.

A dirt receptacle 8 is mounted between the side beams 1 immediately in advance of the tank G and is designed to receive the sweepings collected by the brushes of the machine and carried from the brushes to the said receptacle. The front wheels of the machine are of course mounted to turn so that the machine may be guided in its travel, and a suitable steering mechanism 9 is provided, including a steering post 10 which projects up through the flooring 3 rearwardly of the casing for the engine.

Power for operating the sweeping mechanism is taken from the rear aXle upon which are caried sprocket gears 11. A shaft 12 is journaled in the frame immediately in advance of the dirt receptacle 8 and carries sprocket gears 13 over which and the gears 11 are trained sprocket chains 111 serving to 'transmit power from the axle to the shaft 12. A power-shaft 15 is journaled in the frame near the front thereof and carries at its ends sprocket gears 1G. The shaft 12 carries in addition to the gears 13, others indicated by thenumeral 17 and over the gears 16 and 17 are trained sprocket chains 13 serving to transmit power from the shaft 12 to the shaft 15. A clutch cone 19 is fixed upon the shaft 15 for rotation therewith and slidably and loosely mounted upon the shaft 15 is a pulley 20 arranged at one end to cooperate with the cone 19, when. the pulley is slid in one direction on thc shaft, to hold the same for rotation with the shaft. For this purpose, the pulley is grooved peripherally as at 21 and a lever 22 has a forked end engaged in the groove and has connected to its other end a rod 23 leading to a lever 24tinounted upon the flooring c adjacent to the steering post 10.

Fixed upon the side-beam 1 of the frame of the machine are guides 211 formed with arcuate slots 25. A shaft 25 is mounted at its ends in bearings upon the side-beams 1 of the frame and projecting upwardly and rearwardly from this shaft and `fixed with respect thereto, is a frame 27 terminating in spaced arms 28. A shaft 29 is journaled in these arms and supports swinging shaft bearings 30 which are adapted to assume various angular positions with respect to the frame 27, when certain adjustments are had, to be presently explained. A shaft 31 is journaled in the shaft bearings 30 and projects at its ends into the arcuate slots 25 in the guides 24 and this shaft carries a sprocket gear 32 over which is trained a sprocket chain 33.

The numeral 34 indicates the sides of a conveyer frame in which are journaled conveyer shafts 35 and 36, the shaft 35 being located at the upper end of said conveyer frame. The shaft 35 carries a sprocket gear 37 over which the sprocket chain 33 is trained, and a conveyer apron 38 is passed over the shafts 35 and 36 and carries slats 39. Fixed upon the shaft 31 is a pulley 40 over which andthe pulley 20 is trained a belt 41 serving'to transmit power from the power shaft 15 to the shaft 30. At this point it will be understood 'that upon rotation of the shaft 31, power will be transmitted to the conveyer shaft 35 and travel of the conveyer-apron will result. The means provided for holding the shaft 31 at all times properly spaced from the shaft 35 will be presently explained.l

Rotary brushes 42 and 43 are j ournaled in the conveyer frame 34 at the lower end thereof, the frame being extended at its said end forwardlyto accommodate the said brushes. A guard 44 is carried between the sides of the conveyer frame and serves to prevent dropping of the dirt after it has been removed from the street surface by the brushes 42 and 43 and before it has been collected by the conveyer-apron 38. A shaft 45 is journaled at its lower end in a bearing 46 upon the outer side of the conveyer frame and carries at its lower end a bevel gear 47 meshing with a similar gear 48 at one end of the shaft upon which the brush 42 is mounted. This shaft has connection, by a gimbal joint 49 with a shaft 50 which at its upper end carries a bevel gear 51 meshing with a similar gear 52 upon the shaft 31. The shafts 45 and 50 serve, of course, to transmit power from the shaft 31 to the brush 42 and these two brushes 42 and 43 are geared for simultaneous rotation, by means of sprockets 53 and a chain 54.

A shaft 55 is journaled for rocking movement in bearings 56 which are mounted in slotted brackets 56 upon the side beams 1 of the frame of the machine, and fixed upon this shaft are angle levers 57 from which depend hangers 58. The hangers 58 at their lower ends, are pivoted as at 59 to arms 60 which are adjustably held in sleeves 61 upon the sides of the conveyer frame. A rock-shaft 62 is journaled in the sidebeams of the frame and carries upstanding arms 63 which are connected, by means of rods 64, with the angle levers 57. A handlever 65 is fixed at one end of the shaft 62 and may be manually rocked for the purpose of rocking the angle levers 57 to raise or lower the conveyer frame.. Springs 66 are connected to arms 67 also carried by the rock shaft 62 and to the shaft bearings 30 and serve to yieldably hold these bearings swung forwardly so as to keep the chain 33 at all times taut and at the same time permit of movement of the shaft 31 in unison with the conveyer shaft 35, and brush 42.

From the foregoing description of the invention it will be readily understood that when the machine is traveling forwardly and the pulley 20 is in clutch with the cone 19, power will be transmitted to the brushes 42 and 43 and the conveyer 38 and the brush 42 will loosen the dirt from the street surface after which the dirt will be thrown by the brush 43 upon the conveyer-apron 38 and will be carried thereby to the receptacle 8 into which it is discharged. Vhen it is desired to render the sweeping mechanism inoperative, the hand-lever 65 is rocked forwardly, thereby swinging the hangers 58 in a forward direction and elevating the conveyer frame together with the conveyer therein and the brushes 42 and 43. This movement of the conveyer does not interfere in any way with the power transmitting mechanism for the reason that the shaft 31 readily and automatically adjusts itself so as to maintain the same relation to the shaft 35 as when the brushes 42 and 43 are acting upon the surface of the street.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is 1. In a sweeper, a frame, angle -levers mounted to rock in the frame,hangers supported from the angle-levers, a conveyer supported by the hangers, a rock-shaft, arms upon the shaft, connections between the arms and the angle levers, a lever for operating the rock-shaft, a power-shaft, a shaft mounted for rotation and for sliding movement upon the frame, means transmitting power from the power shaft to the last mentioned shaft, means for transmitting power from the last mentioned shaft to the conveyer, a brush at the lower end of the conveyer, means transmitting power from the last mentioned shaft to the brush, and a receptacle into which the conveyer is arranged to discharge.

2. in a sweeper, a frame, angle -levers mounted to rock in the frame, hangers suspended from the angle-levers, a conveyer supported by the hangers, a rock-shaft, arms upon the shaft, connections between the arms and the angle levers, a lever for operating the roch-shaft, a frame supported for swinging movement, guides upon the first mentioned frame, a shaft journaled inthe second mentioned frame and sliding in said guides, a power shaft, means transmitting power from the power-shaft to the first mentioned shaft, means transmitting power from the first mentioned shaft to the conveyer, a brush at the lower end of the conveyer, means for transmitting power from the first mentioned shaft to the brush, and a receptacle into which the conveyer is arranged toV discharge.

3. In a sweeper, a frame, a shaft adjustably mounted in the frame, angle-levers fixed upon the shaft, hangers depending one from one arm lof each lever, a conveyer framesupported by the hangers, a conveyer carried in the frame, a brush mounted for rotation in the lower end of the conveyer frame, a rock-shaft carried in the first mentioned frame, means for rocking the shaft, connections between'the shaft and the other arms of the angle-levers, guides carried by the frame, a movable support mounted in the guides, power transmitting means extending between the support and conveyer and its brush, connections between the conveyer frame and the said supports, and a receptacle into which the conveyer is arranged to discharge.

4. In a sweeper, a frame, a shaft adjustably carried in the frame, levers fixed upon the shaft, hangers depending from the levers, a conveyer frame, a conveyer mounted in the frame, a brush mounted for rotation in the lower end of the conveyer frame, means adjustably connecting the hangers with the conveyer frame, a rock-shaft mounted in the frame, means for rocking the shaft, connections between the shaft and the levers, and a receptacle into which the oonveyer is arranged to discharge.

In a sweeper, a frame, a shaft adjustably carried in the frame, levers fixed upon the shaft, hangers depending from the levers, a conveyer frame, a conveyer, a brush carried for rotation in the lower end of the conveyer frame, arms adjustably carried upon the conveyer frame and having connections with the hanger, a rock-shaft mounted in the frame, means for rocking the shaft, connections between the rock-shaft and levers, and a receptacle into which the conveyer is arranged to discharge.

6. In a sweeper, a frame, angle levers carried in the frame, a hanger depending from one arm of each angle lever, a conveyer frame supported by the hanger, a conveyer mounted in the frame, means for operating the conveyer, a brush mounted for rotation at the lower end of the conveyer frame, means for rotating the brush, a rock-shaft mounted in the frame, connections between the rock-shaft and the other arms of the angle levers, means for rocking the shaft, a member mounted for swinging movement in the frame, a shaft bearing mounted for swinging movement upon the said member, a shaft journaled in the bearing, a power shaft, means transmitting power from the power shaftl to the first mentioned shaft, means transmitting power from the first mentioned shaft to the conveyer, and yieldable connection between the rock-shaft and the shaft bearing.

tioned frame, means for rocking the angle levers to raise and lower the hangers, a

power-shaft, swinging shaft bearings mounted in the frame, a shaft journaled in the bearings, means transmitting power from thepower shaftvto the swinging shaft, means transmitting power from the swinging shaft tothe brush, and resilient connecting means between the swinging shaft bearing and the means for rocking the angle-levers.

S. In a sweeper, a frame, a rock-shaft adjustably carried in the frame, levers fixed upon the shaft, a hanger depending from each of said levers, a conveyer frame, a conveyer mounted for travel in the frame, a brush mounted for rotation at the lower end of the conveyer frame, arms adjustablT carried upon the sides of the conveyer frame and having connection with the hangers, a receptacle into which the conveyer is arranged to discharge, means for rocking the levers, means for operating the conveyer, and means for rotating the brush.

9. In a sweeper, a frame, a conveyer frame supported in the first mentioned frame, a power-shaft mounted in the first mentioned frame, a swinging shaft bearing mounted in the frame, a shaft journaled in the bearing, means transmitting power from the power shaft to the last mentioned shaft, a conveyer mounted in the frame, means transmitting power from the last mentioned shaft to the conveyer, a brush carried at the lower end of the conveyer for rotation, means transmitting power from the power shaft to the brush, a rock-shaft mounted in the frame, operative connection between the rock-shaft and the conveyer frame for raising and lowering the latter when the shaft is rocked, and connection between the rock-shaft and the swinging shaft bearing.

lO. In a sweeper, a frame, a conveyer frame supported in the first mentioned frame, a power-shaft mounted in the first mentioned frame, a swinging shaft bearing carried in the frame, a shaft journaled in the bearing, means transmitting power from the power shaft to the last mentioned shaft, a conveyer carried in the last mentioned frame, a brush mounted for rotation in the lower end of the conveyer framemeans transmitting power from the last mentioned shaft to the conveyer, means transmitting power from the power-shaft to the brush, a rock-shaft mounted in the frame, operative connection between the rock-shaft and conveyer frame for raising and lowering the latter when the shaft is rocked, and a spring connected to the rock-shaft and to the swinging shaft bearing. f

l1. In a sweeper, a frame, a conveyer frame carried in the iirst mentioned frame,

a shaft journaled in the conveyer frame, a

oonveyer driven from the shaft, a sprocket on the conveyer shaft, a swinging shaft bearing mounted in the frame, a shaft journaled in the bearing, a sprocket upon the shaft, a sprocket chain trained about said lfsprookets, a brush mounted for rotation at a conveyer frame, `a conveyer in said conveyer frame, a brush housing Carried byV the lower end of the eonveyer frame, brushes in said housing, means for actuating said brushes, means pivotally engaging the intermediate portion of the conveyer frame to resiliently support said frame with the brushes in operative position, means engaging the brush housing for normally bracing the Conveyer frame and brush housing against swinging movement, and means for simultaneously raising the conveyer frame, supporting means and the brush housing bracing means to raise the eonveyerY frame and brush housing.

In testimony whereof, I aiiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VILLIAM C. NIEMANN. [n 5.] I/Vitnesses LoUIs MARTZ, JOHN F. HOERL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, yby addressing the Commissioner of'Iatents, Washington, D. C. 

